During the past years, we have been witnessing a
true discovery of wine regions of a great tradition. But
until now, it had remained outside the usual circuits of the
international wine radar.

This is the case of Slovenia, a rather young
country born of the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, with
a long history in wine production. Unfortunately, its market had
not reached the palates of the general public.

In fact, winemaking in this small Balkan country dates
back to Celtic times, even before the Roman domination
of the region. According to a legend, in the Middle Ages the
crusaders who crossed this area in search for the Holy Land, were
so captivated by the quality of local wine that they abandoned
their duties to establish themselves at this place.

However, until the early years of this century, Slovenia has
remained somewhat hidden to experts of the wine world. Even among
countries that by geographical proximity would be a potential
target market.

Currently, this situation is starting to change as
producers are benefiting from the economic opening of the
present age. On the one hand, leaving back the hard
economic control of the former federation of Balkan states and,
on the other hand, the consequences of political and social
instability in the last decades of the 20th century.

To support this enormous potential growth, the country offers a
great variety of soils and climates, allowing it to offer a wide
range of wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc,
Pinot Gris, Welschriesling types and SIPON, the local variety of
the famous Hungarian Tokay.

Although currently only 10% of Slovenian
wines are exported, the forecast for local producers
is growing fast for the coming years and it should
come to no surprise to find more Slovenian wines as time
goes by.